Exploring the OceanCreated By: Cara Schragal, 2003
An Ocean of useful books and links about the wonders of the Ocean ,
for children of all ages.
This page is filled
with book titles and other links that would be good to use in a classroom
that is learning about the ocean. Most of the books I chose to present would
be best if used in Kindergarten through 2nd grade. I hope you enjoy your
ocean exploration!
Fraiser, Debra.
Out of the Ocean. Harcourt Brace
& Company, New York. 1998.
This book provides an outlook at the ocean from a mother's point of view. She takes a moment to explain to her daughter that the ocean will bring you a gift if you ask for it; you just have to remember to look! This book explores the ocean through the land. It describes what the ocean leaves for people to find: shells, bottles, smooth glass, and much more. The back of the book is also filled with factual information about what the ocean leaves behind. The book includes illustrations and photographs and is fun to look through. It would be a wonderful way to incorporate real pictures of the ocean into a school lesson.
Fraiser, Debra.
Out of the Ocean. Harcourt Brace
& Company, New York. 1998.This book provides an outlook at the ocean from a mother's point of view. She takes a moment to explain to her daughter that the ocean will bring you a gift if you ask for it; you just have to remember to look! This book explores the ocean through the land. It describes what the ocean leaves for people to find: shells, bottles, smooth glass, and much more. The back of the book is also filled with factual information about what the ocean leaves behind. The book includes illustrations and photographs and is fun to look through. It would be a wonderful way to incorporate real pictures of the ocean into a school lesson.
Orr, Katherine. Story of a Dolphin. Carolrhoda Books,
Inc, Minneapolis. 1993.
This book is based on the true story of JoJo, a wild dolphin, who is known to have befriended people in the Caribbean. Laura and her father spend a lot of time in the Ocean and soon they meet a friendly dolphin. The story explains how Laura needed to be patient with the dolphin before he would feel safe and secure near her. After the dolphin becomes her friend, word begins to spread about the friendly dolphin and tourists are drawn in by the dolphin stories. JoJo is not comfortable with all the visitors and begins to lash out because of his fear. People began to express mixed emotions regarding the dolphin and so a specialist is brought in to assess the situation. The specialist works with the people to design a training program with the dolphin. This is an interesting and educational book about the ocean and how dolphins and humans learned to befriend one another.
Fox, Frank G. Jean Laffite and the Big Ol' Whale.
Farrar Straus Giroux, New York.
2003.
This is a fun and exciting tall tale based on a real character from Louisiana history. A little boy is found off the banks of a river and no one has any idea where he has come from, but they can see that there is something special about him. Jean has a longing for the river he came from and he has many adventures involving the famous Mississippi River including drying it out and bringing a real live whale to its banks! This is a very different, yet fun way, to tie whales into the curriculum. This book would easily entertain a group of second or third graders and they would be begging to know what happens next.
Lionni, Leo. Swimmy. Alfred A Knopf, New York. 1991.
Lionni's classic book Swimmy is perfect for any early childhood classroom. The story describes the troubles of a little fish that is born black when all of his friends and family are red. This ends up to be Swimmy's escape from danger. Through Swimmy's adventured in the ocean children are introduced to many of the oceans creatures including tuna, eels, and jellyfish. Swimmy teaches his friends how to escape danger. The story teaches children about loneliness and friendship while simultaneously exploring the depths of the ocean.
Munoz Ryan, Pam. Hello Ocean. Talewinds, MA. 2001.
This beautifully illustrated looks so real that I had to look twice to see if the illustrations were actually photographs! Through the narrations of a small girl, the book uses the ocean and poetry to describe the five senses. This book is fun to read and the rhyming pattern would easily keep students involved. It is entertaining to read and even more appealing to look at.
Rose, Deborah Lee. Into the A, B, Sea. Scholastic Press,
New York. 2000.
This alphabet book uses the letters of the alphabet to describe the many creatures that live in the sea. The book names different creatures and includes and chooses a word to describe each. At the end of the book there is a wonderful glossary of all the creatures named and more information about each of them.
Ryder, Joanne. Sea Elf. Murrow Junior Books, New York.
1993.
Ryder, Joanne. Winter Whale. Murrow Junior Books, New
York. 1991.
Ryder, Joanne. Shark in the Sea. Murrow Junior Books,
New York. 1997.
These three "Just for a day" books are a perfect addition to the study of the ocean for the classroom. Young children will enjoy learning about individual creatures of the ocean as they read Ryder's poetic descriptions of the activities of an otter, a whale, and a shark. The books poetic pages made me want to keep reading! The pictures are also beautiful and would give children a good image of what these creatures really look like. And if you really like sharks,
check this out See a real live shark!!
Clements, Andrew. Big Al and Shrimpy. Simon and Schuster
Books for Young Readers,
New York. 2002.
Shrimpy is the little fish with big ideas. The story begins with a small lonely little fish that is sad because he is smaller than all the other friends. But soon, after they are both ousted from a game of tag, Big Al and Shrimpy become friends. Shrimpy and Al have a lot of fun together, until one day Al gets trapped in the deep ocean and it is up to Shrimpy to save him. This story provides children with a good lesson of friendship and that sometimes it is the underdog that comes to save the day.
Sobol, Richard. Adelina's Whales. Dutton Children's Books,
New York. 2003.
This is an informational text which tells the story of a young girl and her unique friends. Through text and photographs the tales of Adelina and her friends the grey whales unfolds. Set in Baja California, this book provides a multicultural look at a girl, her family, her life, and her special friends--the whales. A great book to introduce children to other cultures while discussing the wonders of the ocean. Would you like to watch a live kelp feeding?
Click here Watch a live feeding!
Cole, Joanna. The Magic School Bus on
the Ocean Floor. Scholastic, Inc, New York.
1992.
This is another marvelous adventure with Ms. Frizzle, her class, and their magic school bus. On a field trip to the ocean, the children are able to learn about and explore the many wonders of the ocean. This is a great book for the classroom because each page is bursting with information and the reader can spend time exploring each individual page and all the knowledge they present. The reader will learn about the sea and its creatures while exploring the ocean floor with Ms. Frizzle.
Magic School Bus Activity Page
Now for a few books for older readers...
Kinsey-Warnock, Natalie. Gifts from
the Sea. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 2003.
The story of a young girl and the marvelous gift the sea gives to her. As she explores the sea, she finds something unexpected--a baby! This book explores the wonders of the ocean in a way that is all new. The book is inspired by a true story of a family from Maine who found a baby near their lighthouse. Read and explore the many adventures and changes that Quila and her father experience after they decide to keep the baby. Young readers will enjoy their story while learning some history of Maine and the 1850's.
Vance, Susanna. Deep. Delacorte
Press, New York. 2003.
This is a book for older readers, junior high and maybe even high school. Two girls live in the Caribbean and are eventually brought together by the ocean. The book is said to be dramatic and mysterious and recommended by many teenage girls.
Atwater, Richard and Florence. Mr. Popper's
Penguins. Little, Brown, and Company,
Boston. 1938.
Young readers need chapter books too! This clever story is a wonderful way to integrate reading into an ocean unit in a third or fourth grade classroom. The children are likely to laugh-out-loud as the read about Mr. Popper and his wife and the twelve penguins they decide to take into their home. As children read about these penguins adventures in the Popper's home, they might simultaneously explore the real habitats of penguins.
And now some useful websites for preparing a unit about the ocean...
A to Z Themes and Thematic Units
Purchase Units and Lesson Plans
K-2 Thematic Units
This book is based on the true story of JoJo, a wild dolphin, who is known to have befriended people in the Caribbean. Laura and her father spend a lot of time in the Ocean and soon they meet a friendly dolphin. The story explains how Laura needed to be patient with the dolphin before he would feel safe and secure near her. After the dolphin becomes her friend, word begins to spread about the friendly dolphin and tourists are drawn in by the dolphin stories. JoJo is not comfortable with all the visitors and begins to lash out because of his fear. People began to express mixed emotions regarding the dolphin and so a specialist is brought in to assess the situation. The specialist works with the people to design a training program with the dolphin. This is an interesting and educational book about the ocean and how dolphins and humans learned to befriend one another.
Fox, Frank G. Jean Laffite and the Big Ol' Whale.
Farrar Straus Giroux, New York. 2003.
This is a fun and exciting tall tale based on a real character from Louisiana history. A little boy is found off the banks of a river and no one has any idea where he has come from, but they can see that there is something special about him. Jean has a longing for the river he came from and he has many adventures involving the famous Mississippi River including drying it out and bringing a real live whale to its banks! This is a very different, yet fun way, to tie whales into the curriculum. This book would easily entertain a group of second or third graders and they would be begging to know what happens next.
Lionni, Leo. Swimmy. Alfred A Knopf, New York. 1991.Lionni's classic book Swimmy is perfect for any early childhood classroom. The story describes the troubles of a little fish that is born black when all of his friends and family are red. This ends up to be Swimmy's escape from danger. Through Swimmy's adventured in the ocean children are introduced to many of the oceans creatures including tuna, eels, and jellyfish. Swimmy teaches his friends how to escape danger. The story teaches children about loneliness and friendship while simultaneously exploring the depths of the ocean.
Munoz Ryan, Pam. Hello Ocean. Talewinds, MA. 2001.This beautifully illustrated looks so real that I had to look twice to see if the illustrations were actually photographs! Through the narrations of a small girl, the book uses the ocean and poetry to describe the five senses. This book is fun to read and the rhyming pattern would easily keep students involved. It is entertaining to read and even more appealing to look at.
Rose, Deborah Lee. Into the A, B, Sea. Scholastic Press,
New York. 2000.This alphabet book uses the letters of the alphabet to describe the many creatures that live in the sea. The book names different creatures and includes and chooses a word to describe each. At the end of the book there is a wonderful glossary of all the creatures named and more information about each of them.
Ryder, Joanne. Sea Elf. Murrow Junior Books, New York.
1993.
Ryder, Joanne. Winter Whale. Murrow Junior Books, New
York. 1991.
Ryder, Joanne. Shark in the Sea. Murrow Junior Books,
New York. 1997.These three "Just for a day" books are a perfect addition to the study of the ocean for the classroom. Young children will enjoy learning about individual creatures of the ocean as they read Ryder's poetic descriptions of the activities of an otter, a whale, and a shark. The books poetic pages made me want to keep reading! The pictures are also beautiful and would give children a good image of what these creatures really look like. And if you really like sharks,
check this out See a real live shark!!
Clements, Andrew. Big Al and Shrimpy. Simon and Schuster
Books for Young Readers,New York. 2002.
Shrimpy is the little fish with big ideas. The story begins with a small lonely little fish that is sad because he is smaller than all the other friends. But soon, after they are both ousted from a game of tag, Big Al and Shrimpy become friends. Shrimpy and Al have a lot of fun together, until one day Al gets trapped in the deep ocean and it is up to Shrimpy to save him. This story provides children with a good lesson of friendship and that sometimes it is the underdog that comes to save the day.
Sobol, Richard. Adelina's Whales. Dutton Children's Books,
New York. 2003.This is an informational text which tells the story of a young girl and her unique friends. Through text and photographs the tales of Adelina and her friends the grey whales unfolds. Set in Baja California, this book provides a multicultural look at a girl, her family, her life, and her special friends--the whales. A great book to introduce children to other cultures while discussing the wonders of the ocean. Would you like to watch a live kelp feeding?
Click here Watch a live feeding!
Cole, Joanna. The Magic School Bus on
the Ocean Floor. Scholastic, Inc, New York. 1992.
This is another marvelous adventure with Ms. Frizzle, her class, and their magic school bus. On a field trip to the ocean, the children are able to learn about and explore the many wonders of the ocean. This is a great book for the classroom because each page is bursting with information and the reader can spend time exploring each individual page and all the knowledge they present. The reader will learn about the sea and its creatures while exploring the ocean floor with Ms. Frizzle.
Magic School Bus Activity Page
Now for a few books for older readers...
Kinsey-Warnock, Natalie. Gifts from
the Sea. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 2003.The story of a young girl and the marvelous gift the sea gives to her. As she explores the sea, she finds something unexpected--a baby! This book explores the wonders of the ocean in a way that is all new. The book is inspired by a true story of a family from Maine who found a baby near their lighthouse. Read and explore the many adventures and changes that Quila and her father experience after they decide to keep the baby. Young readers will enjoy their story while learning some history of Maine and the 1850's.
Vance, Susanna. Deep. Delacorte
Press, New York. 2003.This is a book for older readers, junior high and maybe even high school. Two girls live in the Caribbean and are eventually brought together by the ocean. The book is said to be dramatic and mysterious and recommended by many teenage girls.
Atwater, Richard and Florence. Mr. Popper's
Penguins. Little, Brown, and Company,Boston. 1938.
Young readers need chapter books too! This clever story is a wonderful way to integrate reading into an ocean unit in a third or fourth grade classroom. The children are likely to laugh-out-loud as the read about Mr. Popper and his wife and the twelve penguins they decide to take into their home. As children read about these penguins adventures in the Popper's home, they might simultaneously explore the real habitats of penguins.
And now some useful websites for preparing a unit about the ocean...
A to Z Themes and Thematic Units
Purchase Units and Lesson Plans
K-2 Thematic Units